History Withnell Fold

withnell fold mill workers c1875: joseph blackburn, peter brindle, thomas blinkhorn parke, richard cranshaw (seated), john eccles, john hilston

withnell fold, model village , paper mill built on greenfield site in 1843. owner , builder thomas blinkhorn parke (1823–1885), son of robert park, local cotton mill owner. houses in withnell fold had gardens , outside toilets.

the mill started in 1843 , opened , began production on 15 january 1844, 1 machine. 3 years later second machine installed, , business successful third machine installed in 1855. machines known 74 , 66 , 60 , widths of paper produced. quality , variety of paper improved, , in 1849, tissue paper made, followed in 1856 coloured tissue.

writing papers introduced in 1863 , had reputation being of finest quality. cartridge paper came in 1878. mill supplied newsprint preston, bolton , liverpool newspapers. firm continued family concern until 1890 when combined wiggins teape & co., old established firm of stationers. although merger did not take place until 1890, mill had supplied paper wiggins , teape 1847, , in old diary kept mr. t. b. parke, there entry february of year, reads making double cap ordered wiggins & teape .

notable dates in village chronology are:

5 march 1843: commencement of building work mill , village cottages.
15 jan 1844: day on commenced making paper.
withnell fold paper mill closed in 1967, , last batch of paper made @ 13:00 hrs on 23 december 1967.




^ parke family papers, file ref: ddx 912, lancashire record office, bow lane, preston, lancashire, pr1 2re, united kingdom
^ scott, florence (1988). memories of old withnell fold, countryside publication, brinscall, chorley. isbn 0-86157-285-8.
^ diaries of thomas blinkhorn parke held arjo wiggins archive